Lake Matahina, Whakatane

Voted for NZ's Merriest Home yet?

Voted for NZ's Merriest Home yet?

Check out the finalists and take your pick!

874 days ago

Fence and trellis

The Team from Resene ColorShop Whakatane

It’s easy to give an old fence and trellis a new lease of life with Resene Waterborne Woodsman.

Find out how to create your own.

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877 days ago

Poll: VOTE for the Resene Upcycling Finalists!

Resene

It’s that time again neighbours - we need your help! Look at all this creativity hiding behind front doors. We now need YOU to vote for your favourite Upcycling Award finalist. The four designs with the most votes will each receive a $200 Resene voucher and a $300 Prezzy® card!

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It’s that time again neighbours - we need your help! Look at all this creativity hiding behind front doors. We now need YOU to vote for your favourite Upcycling Award finalist. The four designs with the most votes will each receive a $200 Resene voucher and a $300 Prezzy® card!

Find out a little more about each entry here. Voting closes 5pm Thursday 4 August.

Thanks for voting; your clever neighbours thank you!

VOTE for the Resene Upcycling Finalists!
  • 8.4% 1) Storage cabinet (Christine Olson, Carterton District)
    8.4% Complete
  • 19.1% 2) Bench Seat (Mary McRae, Hauraki)
    19.1% Complete
  • 4.4% 3) Modern Tech Desk (Julie Cronin, Havelock North)
    4.4% Complete
  • 9.7% 4) Alice in Wonderland table (Lynda Cree, Halswell)
    9.7% Complete
  • 17.3% 5) Terracotta Steps (Angie Farrow, Hokowhitu)
    17.3% Complete
  • 7.1% 6) Drinks cabinet / piano bar (Maurice van Liempd, Whakatane District)
    7.1% Complete
  • 4.8% 7) Garden feature (Marjanna Jones, Henderson)
    4.8% Complete
  • 2.2% 8) Spacerocket lamp (Jen Asquith, Nelson South)
    2.2% Complete
  • 25.1% 9) Paintbrush art (Bonnie Stretton, Motueka)
    25.1% Complete
  • 2% 10) Writing Desk (Steve Nicholson, Brookfield)
    2% Complete
1951 votes
879 days ago

Time to escape your neighbourhood?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Are you overdue a getaway? You could win a 13-day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer South Island Rail & Coach tour by participating in Neighbourly’s 8th birthday celebration.

To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a … View more
Are you overdue a getaway? You could win a 13-day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer South Island Rail & Coach tour by participating in Neighbourly’s 8th birthday celebration.

To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a beautiful view, or something that makes you smile. You could be in for a once-in-a-lifetime getaway!
Find out more

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881 days ago

WIN with AO Travel and Stuff newspapers

Stuff

Hey Neighbours!

Australian Open and Stuff newspaper are giving you and a friend the chance to kick off grand slam season in Melbourne next year with an epic prize valued at over $8,000! Simply follow the link below and enter your details to be in to win.

Competition closes on Friday 12 … View more
Hey Neighbours!

Australian Open and Stuff newspaper are giving you and a friend the chance to kick off grand slam season in Melbourne next year with an epic prize valued at over $8,000! Simply follow the link below and enter your details to be in to win.

Competition closes on Friday 12 August 2022. Terms and conditions apply.
Find out more

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881 days ago

Re-energise your morning with the Sunday Star-Times.

Stuff

Enjoy an Antipodes skincare duo (RRP$50) when you purchase a three-month subscription to the Sunday Star-Times for just $52.

Subscribe at mags4gifts.co.nz antipodes Terms and conditions apply.
Find out more

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911 days ago

Is your broadband bill about to increase? Don't throw money away.

NZ Compare

Spark have recently announced a price increase of $3 - $5 a month for new and existing broadband customers and other providers seem likely to follow suit.

Information collated by our research team has found that tens of thousands of Kiwis are still missing out on hundreds of dollars of savings … View more
Spark have recently announced a price increase of $3 - $5 a month for new and existing broadband customers and other providers seem likely to follow suit.

Information collated by our research team has found that tens of thousands of Kiwis are still missing out on hundreds of dollars of savings each year on their broadband bill, because they are failing to shop around for cheaper broadband plans.

We estimate that over 500,000 households would be able to pay less for their broadband each month but many consumers are unaware of the fact that they could be making these savings and people often don’t know where to start when looking for a change in broadband plan or provider.

This is where NZ Compare can help. Our websites are simple to use and if you need more help, our friendly, Auckland based, customer support centre can advise on the most suitable broadband plan for your needs and help talk you through the switch. With unlimited fibre broadband plans available for less than $60 a month why would you pay more?

Find out more at NZ Compare or call the team on 0508 226672

CORRECTION: This post has been amended to clarify that the price of fibre and copper broadband internet services will increase, and that the increase is between $3 and $5 a month, not only $5 a month on fibre broadband plans as previously posted. (Amended at 10.31am, June 23, 2022)

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881 days ago

Create a statement

The Team from Resene ColorShop Whakatane

Transform an old wooden easel with Resene paint into a statement piece for a glam office or homework desk!

Find out how to create your own.

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882 days ago

Price Drop Alert, This Weekend only!

Beds4U

Are you ready?
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𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟔𝟓% 𝐨𝐟𝐟 on NZ-made Beds with 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 and 24 Months Interest-Free with Q Card

View more
Are you ready?
𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐄 is on NOW! 72 hours only!
𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟔𝟓% 𝐨𝐟𝐟 on NZ-made Beds with 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 and 24 Months Interest-Free with Q Card

Shop online or at your nearest Beds4U store!

✅60 Night's Comfort Guarantee

✅100% NZ Owned and Operated Business

✅19 Bed retail stores across North Island

*Apply Code (FLASH22) to your cart for 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 on online orders above $799 and only valid for shipping rates under $99. While stocks last.

*24 Months Interest-Free with Q Card: Read T's & C's here.
Find out more

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882 days ago

Natures Bounty | Bast is Best

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean at Whakatane ChemDry

Commonly known as ‘soft’ fibres, bast fibres are the fine, flexible fibres obtained from the stems of dicotyledonous plants.

Bast fibres have been used to manufacture ropes, sacks, sails, and other industrial fabrics for hundreds of years. Commonly known as ‘soft’ fibres, bast fibres are… View more
Commonly known as ‘soft’ fibres, bast fibres are the fine, flexible fibres obtained from the stems of dicotyledonous plants.

Bast fibres have been used to manufacture ropes, sacks, sails, and other industrial fabrics for hundreds of years. Commonly known as ‘soft’ fibres, bast fibres are the fine, flexible fibres obtained from the stems of dicotyledonous plants. A sustainable choice, bast fibres support regenerative agricultural practices that can help the soil sequester carbon and as a natural resource, are entirely biodegradable. In this article we will investigate four of the most utilised bast fibres: flax, hemp, ramie, and jute.

Between the epidermis (the outermost layer of cells) and the core of the plant’s stems are soft, woody fibre bundles or strands which can be over one metre long. The strands are composed of individual filaments made up of cellulose and hemicellulose cells bonded together by pectin or lignin, a cohesive gum which strengthens the stem of the plant.

During harvest the stems are cut close to the ground and the fibres are separated either through a natural decomposition process called retting (engaging moisture and bacteria to rot away the gummy cellular tissues) or by decortication (peeling the stems manually or mechanically). After retting, the fibres can be mechanically extracted through a process known as scutching.

In contrast to bast fibres, leaf fibres are obtained from the leaves of monocotyledonous plants with parallel-veined leaves, such as grasses, lilies, orchids, and palms. The long, stiff fibres of plants including abaca, cantala, Mauritius hemp, and sisal are generally used to create cordage or ropes, however, due to labour-intensive harvesting processes they are used less frequently than synthetic options.

Flax (Linen): Famously grown across northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland, flax is the most popular and strongest of the bast fibres. Wild flax fibres found in the Upper Palaeolithic layers of a Georgian cave indicate that humans have been crafting cords and weaving flax baskets for over 30,000 years.

Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

883 days ago

The Great InsectBot Mission Competition

Stem Wana Trust

Step into a NASA engineer’s shoes to design and create a robot, inspired from insects’ unique characteristics, with the capability of surviving on Mars. The competition is for rangatahi aged 10 to 16 years across Aotearoa.

The finalists will get the chance to go to Tauranga STEM FestivalView more
Step into a NASA engineer’s shoes to design and create a robot, inspired from insects’ unique characteristics, with the capability of surviving on Mars. The competition is for rangatahi aged 10 to 16 years across Aotearoa.

The finalists will get the chance to go to Tauranga STEM Festival and present their InsectBot to a panel of judges. The competition winner will receive amazing “money can’t buy experiences” including a visit to Rocket Lab facilities as a VIP and other prizes will include a series of space and engineering themed experiences thanks to our generous partners.
Find out more

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884 days ago

Beef, ordered from here

McDonald's

For delicious grass-raised beef New Zealand is the perfect combo.

An ideal climate, lush pastures and innovative farming produces enough beef for Macca’s in New Zealand and around the world. Our patties are 100% quality beef, and all that’s added is a dash of salt and pepper when cooked.
View more
For delicious grass-raised beef New Zealand is the perfect combo.

An ideal climate, lush pastures and innovative farming produces enough beef for Macca’s in New Zealand and around the world. Our patties are 100% quality beef, and all that’s added is a dash of salt and pepper when cooked.

We partner with many Kiwi farmers who produce our beef, including those at the world-class Whangara Farms.
Find out more

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885 days ago

Ways to make your home feel cosier in Winter

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean at Whakatane ChemDry

Find out how a few key elements can warm up your abode over the winter months. Anyone can make a home that is inviting and relaxing after a long cold day.

Choose a warm paint colour: Explore the colour wheel - Notice that yellows, oranges and reds are on the warm side so utilising those colours … View more
Find out how a few key elements can warm up your abode over the winter months. Anyone can make a home that is inviting and relaxing after a long cold day.

Choose a warm paint colour: Explore the colour wheel - Notice that yellows, oranges and reds are on the warm side so utilising those colours will simulate a cosier, warmer mood. Blue and purples are on the cool side so they will simulate the opposite mood.

Warm lighting: Group lighting by using task and ambience lighting and a mixture of table and floor lamps. Warm coloured bulbs throw out a softer light and give a room a cosy feel.

TIP: Having your lights on separate switches means you can control how bright/dim a space will be.

Add pot plants: Any living element contributes to a cosy and inviting feel. Plants in baskets are not only on-trend, but they also generate more oxygen inside your home too.

TIP: Group pots together using different shapes and heights to make a focal point.

Carpet, rugs and textiles: Tiles are great but can be chilly underfoot in the cooler months. Carpets insulate, soften and warm up a room and New Zealand wool carpets are environmentally friendly with a sustainable fibre, plus naturally flame retardant.

Don’t discount rugs even if you have carpets. Make sure you choose a rug that works with your existing carpet. Placing a rug between yourself and the floor instantly guarantees a warmer atmosphere. Rugs are also incredibly good at tying a space together.

TIP: Garage carpet reforms the space from a cold concrete feel to a soft warm space too!

Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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887 days ago

Paint it Red with Resene!

Resene

Simply visit your local Resene owned ColorShop, choose your favourite red testpots and for each one you buy Resene will donate $1 to Cure Kids to help fund vital child health research!

Offer applies to all Resene green 60mL testpots (excludes metallic and wood stains) purchased by retail … View more
Simply visit your local Resene owned ColorShop, choose your favourite red testpots and for each one you buy Resene will donate $1 to Cure Kids to help fund vital child health research!

Offer applies to all Resene green 60mL testpots (excludes metallic and wood stains) purchased by retail customers between 13-31 July 2022 at Resene owned ColorShops.

Come in and see the Resene team today!
Find out more

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888 days ago

Concrete pad

The Team from Resene ColorShop Whakatane

Transform a dull concrete pad into an attractive seating area with a little bit of help from Resene Walk-on flooring and paving paint.

Find out how to create your own.

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889 days ago

Do you know a greenfingered hero in your community?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Dear neighbours,

NZ Gardener together with Ryman Healthcare is once again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who use their gardening skills to help others. Tell us about the great gardeners doing right by your community, and they could be one of five finalists who will… View more
Dear neighbours,

NZ Gardener together with Ryman Healthcare is once again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who use their gardening skills to help others. Tell us about the great gardeners doing right by your community, and they could be one of five finalists who will feature in the October magazine!

There are some amazing prizes up for grabs, so if you know a homegrown hero who is using their gardening skills for the greater good, nominate them now for Ryman Healthcare 2022 Gardener of the Year!

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